Sudan: United Nations Urged Not to Aid Sudanese Official Wanted for War Crimes

Share

Share

Amnesty International Urges United Nations Not to Aid Sudanese Official Wanted for War Crimes

Contact: AIUSA media relations office, 202-509-8194

(Washington, D.C.) – Amnesty International has urged the United Nations not to help fugitives from international justice after a Sudanese official wanted for war crimes in Darfur was provided with a helicopter to fly to a meeting in the Abyei region.

"It’s outrageous that someone who is wanted by the ICC for crimes against humanity and war crimes is given transport by UN without being arrested," said Renzo Pomi, Amnesty International’s representative at the UN.

Ahmed Haroun, the Governor of Southern Kordofan, who is the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), was given assistance by the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) so that he could attend a meeting with members of the Missirya community in Abyei.

In a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday, Amnesty International called for directives to be issued to "all peacekeeping operations and other UN offices and agencies to refrain from providing such assistance except for the purpose of facilitating the arrest of a person as required by the ICC or other competent judicial body."

On Tuesday, U.N. spokesperson Martin Nesirky said that "Governor Haroun was critical to bringing the Misseriva leaders in southern Kordofan to this meeting that had been arranged in Abyei to stop further clashes and killings."

Mr Nesirky did not mention the U.N.’s agreement to cooperate with the ICC or the obligations that it has recognized that its peacekeeping operations have under international humanitarian law.

"While the efforts by UNMIS to defuse tensions and prevent human rights violations should be applauded, providing a safe haven to somebody wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity, instead of arresting him, is inconsistent with the UN’s obligations," said Pomi.

As Minister of State for the Interior between 2003 and 2005, Haroun was responsible for the Darfur security portfolio. He is alleged to have been responsible for recruiting, funding and personally arming the “Janjaweed” militia in Darfur and encouraging them to target civilians.

The “Janjaweed” militia are said to have carried out the murder, torture and mass rape of innocent civilians during a number of attacks on villages in Darfur.

Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 2.8 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.

# # #

JOIN OUR MOVEMENT

Fight injustice and help create a world where human rights are enjoyed by all.